Hydraulic air-compressor



H. M. DE WITT.

HYDRAULIC AIR COMPRESSOR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 30-1919- Patented Sept. 28, 1920.

' UNITED STATES 'HERBERT M. DE WITT, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

HYDRAULIC AIR-COMPRESSOR.

Application filed July 30,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, :HERBERT M. DE Wrrr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Denver, in the county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hydraulic Air-Compressors, of which thefollowing is a specification.

' This invention relates to hydraulic air compressors and its object is to provide an apparatus for the compression of air which operates automatically by a head of water falling from an elevated source.

My invention is particularly adapted for usevat mines and other isolated milling and manufacturing plants 4 to produce the air under pressure needed for the operation of rock drills and other machines without cost of power.

WVith the above and other objects in view all of which will appear in the course of the following description my invention consists of the construction and combination of devices shown in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of my improved air-compressing apparatus, and

Fig. 2, a side elevation of the valve which controls the water flow to and from the companion units of the apparatus.

Referring to the drawings by numerical reference characters, my improved compressor is composed of two stationary, preferably cylindrical containers 5 and 6 which are alike in size and construction and which may be installed upon any suitable foundation or supporting structure.

A rotary valve 7 in a ported housing 8 controls the flow of water falling through a stand pipe 9 connected with an elevated source of supply, to and from the containers.

The valve-housing has to this end a port 10 which connects with the stand-pipe, ports 11 and 12 at opposite sides thereof, which are respectively connected with corresponding ends of the two cylinders through the medium of conduits 13 and 14 and ports 15 and 16 at opposite sides of the other ports which connect with spouts 17 and 18 which deliver the water discharged from the cylinders into an automatic valve reversing ele ment hereinafter to bedescribed.

The ports of the housing are equidistantly spaced .to connectin pairs with peripheral channels 19 and 20 in the rotary valve which in the operation of the apparatus is moved Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 28, 1920.

1919. Serial No. 314,192.

to two positions to alternately connect each cylinder with the stand-pipe for the intake of water and with one of the dischargespouts for the exhaust of water it has previously received, reversely with relation to the other cylinder.

Each cylinder has at its end opposite to that connected with the respective water conduit, an outlet-opening and an inlet opening.

The outlet openings of the containers are connected with a reservoir for the storage of air under pressure, by means of branches 19 and 20 or a common delivery conduit 21, each provided with a check-valve 22 which prevents the return flow of air from the reservoir and thereby maintains it at a pre determined pressure.

The passage of air into the cylinder through the intake openings is likewise controlled by checkvalves 23 in pipes 24 and 25, which prevent the escape of air through said openings during compression.

The automatic valve reversing element hereinbefore referred to consists of a teetertrough 26 pivoted as at 27 and disposed to receive the water, discharged through the spouts 17 and 18 of the valve housing, at opposite sides of the vertical plane passing through its axis of oscillation.

The trough is divided by a central transverse partition 28 into two sections 29 and 30 which diverge at opposite sides of its pivotal axis and which are relatively arranged so that one extends in a subtantially horizontal position to receive the water dischar ed through the superposed spout of the valve, while the other slants downwardly to discharge the water it had previously re ceived. v

.The trough sections have at their outer ends outlets controlled by valves 31 and 32 which in the operation of the device are constantl in either a partially open or wideopen position.

The water-receiving section of the trough is supported in its horizontal position upon an arm of one of two levers 33 which are fulcrumed as at 34 and which carry at the ends of their opposite arms, counterbalancing weights.

The weights are preferably supplied by the contents of boxes 35 formed in the outer ends of the levers, which may be lessened or increased to permit of ready and accurate regulation of the periods in the operation of the apparatus at which the positions of the valve are reversed.

V V crate the-trough ofthe valve reversing ele Thelevers carry at the ends of their arms which support the ends ofthe trough, pivoted spring-held trips 36 which permitof the return movement of thetrough past the lever ends. when its position is reversed.

The oscillating motion of the trough is communicated to the rotary valve through the medium of a crank arm 37 on the valve and a pair of-chains38 which connect said arm with the end of the trough and run in V opposite directions over sheaves 39' and 410' on a relatively stationary support.

In the operation of the compressor, the containers are alternately placed 111'OOII1- munication with the elevated source of supply for the compression of air by theinflow of water, the compressed air being forced into the reservoir past the checkment which when a predetermined quantity 7 oflwater-has accumulated, overbalances the 'ervoir.

weighted trip-lever which held its receiving section inposition and thereby reverses-the position o-f -the controlling valve. a

In the-position of the parts shown in the drawings, the unit 6 is in communication with the stand-pipe 9 through the connec- 1 tion-of the ports 10 and 12 in the valve hone ing by the channel 20 0f the rotary valve,

and the other unit is connected with the respective discharge spout'lT-by the connection of the ports 11 and 15 through the medium of'the other channel 19. a a

The water entering the cylinder under a head, compresses the air in the .upperend '-thereof'andforces it past the check-valve 22 into-the pipe 21 connected with the res- The water contained in the other cylinder is at the same time discharged through the spout 17 while new air enters the; cylinder past the check valve 23. V Y

The discharged water falls into the section 29 of the teeter-trough supported upon the respective lever,j-and inasmuch as the water is supplied faster than it can flow throu'gh'the open valve, it accumulates in the section untiljthe'section 30 is drained,

- when the trough by movement about its of' 'the sections-of the'trough is'beingfilled' pivotal axis, reverses the position of the valve, it being understood that while one the other is being emptied through the open valve atitslower'end. Y I

' It will thus be seen that contingent on a head to produce the desired degree of com- 'ression' the a aratus o crates continu- 'ously to' com press air and store it in a reservoir in quantities alternately supplied by the companion-units and that the operation takes place without requiring attention other than the proper lubrication of the moving parts. o

The operation of the'compressor is started by reversing the position of the valve by hand after its housing has been placed --in communication with the source of water supply. The valve thus adjusted admits watertotheempty container while the other one empties into the elevated part of the teeter trough and after the latter is moved aboutits pivot by the accumulated water, the operation is automatically continued as hereinbefore explained. r i

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters- Patent is: l g V I 1. A hydraulic-air-compressor comprising in combination with a source of water under pressure,-two containers each havingat'one end a valve-controlledair inlet and a valvecontrolled air-outlet, a valve controlling a flow of 'waterto and from the opposite ends of the-containers and adapted toalternately place the containers in communication withthe source, and mechanism for the operationof the valve by the discharge of water from the containers. Q

2. A hydraulic air-compressor comprising in-combination with a source of water under pressure, two units each adapted for the V compression of air by. water pressure, a water-supply-conduit, a valve-housing having discharge-ports, ports connecting with the units, anda port connected with the supply-conduit, a valve movable in said housing and adapted-to connect said ports in'pairs whereby to place each unit alternately in connection" with the conduit and one of the discharge ports, reversely with relationto the other unit, and an element operating by water discharged through the discharge ports ofthe valve-housing, to periodically reverse the positionof the valve.

8. ,A hydraulic'air-compressor comprising incombination with a source of water under pressure, two units each adapted for the compression of air by water pressure, a water-supply conduit, a valve-housing having discharge-ports, ports connecting with the units, and a port connected with the supply-conduit, a valve movable in said housing and adapted to connect said ports in pairswhereby "to place each unit alter nately in connection with the conduit and one of-the discharge-ports, a pivoted trough havingsections disposed to respectively re-. ceive thejwater from the discharge ports of the valve housing, unbalanced trip levers adapted to hold the sections in a water-receiving position, and means for reversing the positions of the valve by the pivotal movement of the trough.

4:. A hydraulic air-compressor comprising in combination with a source of water under pressure, two units each adapted for the compression of air by water-pressure, a, valve controlling a flow of water to and from the units and adapted to alternately 10 In testimony whereof I have affixed my 15 signature.

HERBERT M. DE WITT, 

